The Best Movies Of 2021
Broadway adaptations, coming-of-age stories, and star-studded ensembles… there’s a lot to love about the movies that came out this year. As the year comes to a close, Pop Culture Planet is sharing the Best of 2021.
CODA (Apple TV+)
A heartwarming coming-of-age story, CODA tells a universal story of family, dreams, and music through the lens of a hearing teenage from a deaf family.
Encanto (Disney+)
Encanto is a magical and musical story of the Madrigal family who live in the mountains of Colombia and have been blessed with a unique gift. Everyone that is except Mirabel. When the magic is in danger, it’s up to her to save the day.
Fear Street Trilogy (Netflix)
The ambitious Fear Street franchise — set in 1994, 1978, and 1666 — dropped three movies over the course of three weeks during the summer, following teens trying to take down the ancient evil that has plagued their town of Shadyside for centuries.
In the Heights (HBO Max)
Adapted from the hit Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda, In The Heights celebrates the Dominican and Puerto Rican people living in Washington Heights, New York. The film takes the story of Usnavi even further, diving into the sueñitos all the members of the community have for a better life.
King Richard (HBO Max)
With a clear vision and determination, Richard Williams has a plan to write his daughters into the history books. The film King Richard, led by Will Smith, follows the journey of the Williams family as they battle the odds to turn Venus and Serena into tennis champs.
Martyrs Lane (Shudder)
Leah has bad nightmares, her mother is distant, and now a small and mysterious visitor is stopping by each night to play a game with her… one that might reveal something big. An emotional and haunting ghost story, Martyrs Lane follows a young girl trying to piece together a family secret through a unique treasure hunt.
Mixtape (Netflix)
Set in pre-Y2K Spokane, Netflix’s Mixtape follows middleschooler Beverly Moody who discovers a mixtape made by her late parents. When the tape is eaten up by a tape deck, she sets out on a mission to find and listen to each and every song, believing they contain a special message just for her.
Petite Maman
In Petite Maman, Nelly has just lost her grandmother and is helping her parents clean out her mother’s childhood home. As she explores the house and surrounding woods she meets a girl who looks just like her.
Scarborough
Scarborough gives an intimate look inside the lives of an underprivileged community in Toronto.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (In theaters)
When Peter Parker messes up a Doctor Strange spell to make everyone forget he’s Spider-Man, he opens up a wild multiverse that will change things forever.
The Fallout
In The Fallout, Jenna Ortega plays a high school student navigating the emotional fallout she experiences in the wake of a school shooting.
tick, tick… BOOM (Netflix)
tick, tick…BOOM is a semi-autobiographical musical about the life of real-life composer Jonathan Larson, directed by the brilliant Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Vivo (Netflix)
Vivo follows a music-loving kinkajou who embarks on the journey of a lifetime to deliver a love song for an old friend with the help of an exuberant little girl named Gabi.
Have you checked out all these movies? What were some of your favorites this year? Get more recommendations, here.
